Systems and methods for providing one or more cooling holes in a slash face of a turbine bucket

ABSTRACT

A turbine bucket is disclosed herein. The turbine bucket may include a platform and a shank portion extending radially inward from the platform. The shank portion may include a slash face, a radial seal pin groove formed in the slash face, and at least one cooling hole disposed in the slash face about the radial seal pin groove.

FIELD

Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to a gas turbine engineand more particularly relate to systems and methods for providing one ormore cooling holes in a slash face of a turbine bucket.

BACKGROUND

A gas turbine engine typically includes a compressor, a combustor, and aturbine. The efficiency of the turbine depends in part on the amount ofcooling air flow from the compressor that is used to cool components inthe hot gas path in the turbine section. The cooling air flow may beintroduced into the wheel space of the turbine to limit (or purge)high-temperature gases from entering into the wheel space. Excess purgeflow to the wheel space may decrease turbine efficiency since thecooling air flow may not be available for work production.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Some or all of the above needs and/or problems may be addressed bycertain embodiments of the disclosure. According to one embodiment,there is disclosed a turbine bucket. The turbine bucket may include aplatform and a shank portion extending radially inward from theplatform. The shank portion may include a slash face, a radial seal pingroove formed in the slash face, and at least one cooling hole disposedin the slash face about the radial seal pin groove.

According to another embodiment, there is disclosed a gas turbine enginesystem. The system may include a compressor, a combustor incommunication with the compressor, and a turbine in communication withthe combustor. The turbine bucket may include a platform and a shankportion extending radially inward from the platform. The shank portionmay include a slash face, a radial seal pin groove formed in the slashface, and at least one cooling hole disposed in the slash face about theradial seal pin groove.

Further, according to another embodiment, there is disclosed a shankportion of a turbine bucket. The shank portion may include a slash face,a radial seal pin groove formed in the slash face, and at least onecooling hole disposed in the slash face about the radial seal pingroove.

Other embodiments, aspects, and features of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 schematically depicts an example view of a gas turbine engine.

FIG. 2 schematically depicts an example cross-sectional view of aturbine bucket.

FIG. 3 schematically depicts an example perspective cross-sectional viewof a turbine bucket, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 schematically depicts an example perspective cross-sectional viewof a turbine bucket, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Illustrative embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafterwith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not allembodiments are shown. The disclosure may be embodied in many differentforms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments setforth herein. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

FIG. 1 depicts a schematic view of gas turbine engine 10 as may be usedherein. The gas turbine engine 10 may include a compressor 15. Thecompressor 15 compresses an incoming flow of air 20. The compressordelivers the compressed flow of air 20 to a combustor 25. The combustor25 mixes the compressed flow of air 20 with a compressed flow of fuel 30and ignites the mixture to create a flow of combustion gases 35.Although only a single combustor 25 is shown, the gas turbine engine 10may include any number of combustors 25. The flow of combustion gases 35is in turn delivered to a downstream turbine 40. The flow of combustiongases 35 drives the turbine 40 to produce mechanical work. Themechanical work produced in the turbine 40 drives the compressor 15 viaa shaft 45 and an external load 50, such as an electrical generator orthe like.

The gas turbine engine 10 may use natural gas, various types of syngas,and/or other types of fuels. The gas turbine engine 10 may be anyone ofa number of different gas turbine engines such as those offered byGeneral Electric Company of Schenectady, New York and the like. The gasturbine engine 10 may have different configurations and may use othertypes of components. Other types of gas turbine engines also may be usedherein. Multiple gas turbine engines, other types of turbines, and othertypes of power generation equipment also may be used herein together.

FIG. 2 schematically depicts one example embodiment of a portion of theturbine 40. The turbine 40 may include a rotor 52 positioned about alongitudinal axis. A number of buckets 54 may be mounted to the rotor52. For example, the buckets 54 may be circumferentially positionadjacent to one another and extend radially outward from the rotor 52.The buckets 54 may form one or more stages in the turbine 40. Forexample, the buckets 54 may form a first stage, a last stage, or anystage therebetween. The buckets 54 may include a platform 56, a shankportion 58, an airfoil 60, and a dovetail 62. The dovetail 62 may beconfigured to mate with a corresponding dovetail 64 of the rotor 52.

The shank portion 56 may include a slash face 66. The slash face 66 isthe circumferential edge of the shank portion 58. In some instances, theleading edge of the shank portion 58 may include a forward trench cavity68. The forward trench cavity 68 may be formed between an angle wingseal 70 and a leading edge 72 of the platform 56. The forward trenchcavity 68 may provide an area where purge air from the wheelspaceinterfaces with the hot combustion gases. Other components and otherconfigurations may be used herein.

FIGS. 3 and 4 depict an example embodiment of a turbine bucket 100 asmay be used herein. The turbine bucket 100 may include may include aplatform 102, a shank portion 104, an airfoil 106, and a dovetail 108.The shank portion 104 may extend radially inward from the platform 102,and the airfoil 106 may extend radially outward from the platform 102.The shank portion 104 may include a slash face 110. The slash face 110is the circumferential edge of the shank portion 104. Depending on theorientation of the airfoil 106, the slash face 110 may be a pressureside slash face (as depicted in FIG. 3) or a suction side slash face (asdepicted in FIG. 4). That is, the slash face 110 positioned about thepressure side of the airfoil 106 is the pressure side slash face, andthe slash face 110 positioned about the suction side of the airfoil 106is the suction side slash face.

In some instances, the leading edge of the shank portion 104 may includea forward trench cavity 112. The forward trench cavity 112 may be formedbetween an angle wing seal 114 and a leading edge 116 of the platform102. The forward trench cavity 112 may provide an area where purge airfrom the wheelspace interfaces with the hot combustion gases.

In certain embodiments, the turbine bucket 102 may include a radial sealpin groove 118 formed in the slash face 110. The radial seal pin groove118 may extend at least partially from the platform 102 to the dovetail108. In some instances, a radial seal pin 120 (depicted in dashed linedfor clarity) may be positioned within the radial seal pin groove 118.That is, each radial seal pin groove 118 may be sized and shaped toreceive a radial seal pin 120 therein to facilitate sealing betweenadjacent shanks portions 104 when a number of turbine buckets 100 arecoupled to the rotor. U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2011/0081245 and U.S. Pat.No. 7,600,972 both describe example embodiments of a radial seal pingroove and a radial seal pin and are both hereby incorporated byreference. In some instances, only the pressure side slash face and/orthe suction side slash face may include the radial seal pin groove 118and/or the radial seal pin 120. In this manner, a slash face that doesnot include the radial seal pin groove 118 and/or the radial seal pin120 may still form a seal with an adjacent turbine bucket 100 that doesinclude the radial seal pin groove 118 and/or the radial seal pin 120.

The turbine bucket 100 may include at least one cooling hole 122disposed in the slash face 110 about the radial seal pin groove 118. Thecooling hole 122 may be disposed within a pressure side slash faceand/or a suction side slash face. The cooling hole 122 may be configuredto provide a flow of cooling fluid (e.g., air) to the area about theradial seal pin groove 118 and/or the radial seal pin 120. For example,the cooling hole 122 may be in communication with a flow of diverted airfrom the compressor by way of a cooling circuit 124. Other sources ofair may be used. In some instances, the cooling circuit 124 may includea number of channels 126 or the like disposed within the turbine bucket100. In this manner, the cooling hole 122 may be in fluid communicationwith any one of the channels 126. The orientation, configuration, andnumber of cooling circuits 124 and/or channels 126 may vary.

In certain embodiments, the cooling hole 122 may be disposed in theslash face 110 about the forward trench cavity 112. That is, the coolinghole 122 may be disposed in the slash face 110 between the angle wingseal 114 and the leading edge 116 of the platform 102. Alternatively, orin addition, the cooling hole 122 may be positioned about a radial outerportion of the radial seal pin groove 118. In another instance, thecooling hole 122 may be positioned about an upstream portion of theradial seal pin groove 118 and/or a downstream portion of the radialseal pin groove 118. The cooling hole 122 may be positioned at anylocation about the radial seal pin groove 118. Furthermore, in someinstances, the cooling hole 122 may include a number of cooling holes122. That is, a number of cooling holes 122 may be disposed in the slashface 110 at various locations about the radial seal pin groove 118.

The location of the cooling holes 122 facilitates cooling of the areaabout the radial seal pin groove 118 and/or the radial seal pin 120. Inturn, the forward trench cavity 112 may require less purge air,resulting in greater efficiency of the gas turbine engine.

Although embodiments have been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the disclosure is not necessarily limited to the specific featuresor acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosedas illustrative forms of implementing the embodiments.

That which is claimed:
 1. A turbine bucket, comprising: a platform; anda shank portion extending radially inward from the platform, wherein theshank portion comprises: a slash face; a radial seal pin groove formedin the slash face; and at least one cooling hole disposed in the slashface about the radial seal pin groove.
 2. The turbine bucket of claim 1,further comprising a radial seal pin positionable within the radial sealpin groove.
 3. The turbine bucket of claim 1, wherein the at least onecooling hole is configured to provide a flow of cooling fluid about theradial seal pin groove.
 4. The turbine bucket of claim 1, furthercomprising a forward trench cavity formed about a leading edge of theshank portion, wherein the at least one cooling hole is disposed in theslash face about the forward trench cavity.
 5. The turbine bucket ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one cooling hole is positioned about atleast one of: a radial outer portion of the radial seal pin groove; anupstream portion of the radial seal pin groove; a downstream portion ofthe radial seal pin groove; or a combination thereof.
 6. The turbinebucket of claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling hole comprises aplurality of cooling holes.
 7. The turbine bucket of claim 1, whereinthe slash face comprises at least one of a pressure side slash face or asuction side slash face.
 8. The turbine bucket of claim 1, wherein theat least one cooling hole is in communication with a cooling circuit. 9.A gas turbine engine system, comprising: a compressor; a combustor incommunication with the compressor; and a turbine in communication withthe combustor, wherein the turbine comprises one or more turbinebuckets, comprising: a platform; and a shank portion extending radiallyinward from the platform, wherein the shank portion comprises: a slashface; a radial seal pin groove formed in the slash face; and at leastone cooling hole disposed in the slash face about the radial seal pingroove.
 10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a radial seal pinpositionable within the radial seal pin groove.
 11. The system of claim9, wherein the at least one cooling hole is configured to provide a flowof cooling fluid about the radial seal pin groove.
 12. The system ofclaim 9, further comprising a forward trench cavity formed about aleading edge of the shank portion, wherein the at least one cooling holeis disposed in the slash face about the forward trench cavity.
 13. Thesystem of claim 9, wherein the at least one cooling hole is positionedabout at least one of: a radial outer portion of the radial seal pingroove; an upstream portion of the radial seal pin groove; a downstreamportion of the radial seal pin groove; or a combination thereof.
 14. Thesystem of claim 9, wherein the at least one cooling hole comprises aplurality of cooling holes.
 15. The system of claim 9, wherein the slashface comprises at least one of a pressure side slash face or a suctionside slash face.
 16. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least onecooling hole is in communication with a cooling circuit.
 17. A shankportion of a turbine bucket, the shank portion comprising: a slash face;a radial seal pin groove formed in the slash face; and at least onecooling hole disposed in the slash face about the radial seal pingroove.
 18. The shank portion of claim 17, further comprising a radialseal pin positionable within the radial seal pin groove.
 19. The shankportion of claim 17, wherein the at least one cooling hole is configuredto provide a flow of cooling fluid about the radial seal pin groove. 20.The shank portion of claim 17, further comprising a forward trenchcavity formed about a leading edge of the shank portion, wherein the atleast one cooling hole is disposed in the slash face about the forwardtrench cavity.